Marking or embossing machine



April 30, 1946. A. slMoNs 2,399,397

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April V30, 1946. A. slMoNs 399,39?

MARKING OR EMBOSSING MACHINE Filed Dec.A s, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 3.

. lNvENTOR. g5/"040W 6mm/75 BY y ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 30, 1946 s IPATENT OFFICE MARKING R EMBOSSING MACHINE Abraham Simons, New York, N. Y.

Application December 3, 1941, Serial No. 421,402

4 Claims. (CI. 101--7) 'f used for making the markings which are shown My invention relates to a new and improved marking or embossing machine.

One of .the objects of my invention is to provide a machine by means of which markings can be readily made in a metal body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient mechanism which can form the markings under great pressure, by inwardly forcing the material of the metal object, in order to form a projecting marking, which may be a number, a letter, or other stamping marking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will eliminate the use of hy draulic pressure. The method is particularly useful in marking dies, punches, bunters, and Atools of various kinds, which require great pressure in order to form the marking, and which must be marked, in Order to stamp other objects, such as cartridge cases and the like. 1

According to my invention, a marking wall is provided with an offset marking element or elements. The marking element is brought under pressure, into progressive contact with the surface of the object which is to be embossed, as distinguished from full-face contact in which the entire marking element is simultaneously contacted with said surface. Said pressure is sufficient to form an offset marking in said surface. Said pressure is less` than the pressure which would be required to form said offset marking, if said surface made full-face contact with said marking element, The pressure is insufficient to distort the bunter or the-like, save at said surface.

Another object of my invention is to provide in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 3, the motor I, which may be an electric motor or other conventional motor, is provided with a shaft 2, which drives the main drive shaft 3 of the machine, by means of any conventional flexible coupling ll. The motor I and the improvedmachine are mounted upon a common support 5. The base of the improved machine is provided with legs 6, which are connected to the support 5 by conventional fastening members 1. r

The frame F of the improved machine is provided with detachable caps 8 and 9, which are connected to said frame F of the machine by means of fastening members Ill. The drive shaft 3 is provided with a suitable loose iit in the cap 8, and said cap 8 is provided with the usual oiltight packing I I, in order to retain oil in the ballbearing and worm-drive.

The outer races I2 of conventional ball bearings, are fixed to the caps 8 and S. The outer races l2 may be xed to the caps 8 and 9, by means of a drive fit, so that said outer races I2 can be detached from said caps 8 and 9, by suitable force. During the operation of the machine, the outer races I2 and the caps 8 and 9 remain stationary. The drive shaft 3 is provided with an enlarged portion I4, in order to provide shoulders at the respective ends of said enlarged portion I4. The inner ball race I5 is clamped a mechanism whereby the marking element is applied by rolling pressure against the surface tobe embossed.

Other objects of my invention will be stated in the annexed description and drawings, which i1- lustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it beagainst the adjacent shoulder of the enlarged portion I4, by means of a nut I5, which is turnably mounted upon a corresponding threaded portion of the shaft 3. The inner race I5 turns in unison with the shaft 3.

One end of the worm Il abuts the corresponding shoulder which is provided by the enlarged portion I4. The portion of the shaft 3 on which the worm Il is mounted, is provided with a conventional key-way. I3, and the conventional key I9 connects the worm I'I to the shaft 3, so that the worm I`I is turned in unison with the shaft 3. The inner race 20 in the cap 3 is clamped by the nut 2i against the shoulder 22 of the shaft 3, so that said inner race 20 turns in unison with shaft 3. The nut 2l is mounted upon a corresponding threaded portion of the shaft 3. A rigid cylindrical spacer 24 is located between the race 20 andthe respective end of the worm I'I.

The worm .I'I meshes with a worm gear 23. Saidworm gear 23 is integral with a hollow shaft 25.` Said worm I'I and said worm gear 23 constitute speed-reducing means, which can be replaced byrother'speed-reducing means. As an example, if the shaft; of motor turns at 1200 revolutions per minute, the hollow shaft 25 and the article W may be turned about 60 revolutions per minute. This ratio can be varied at will. An inner race 26 is connected by a suitable drive iit to this hollow shaft 25. This inner race 26 is associated with an outer race 21 which is fixed to the frame F of the machine. An internally threaded ring 28 is screwed upon a respective threaded part of the hollow shaft 25, and another ring 29 is screwed upon another corresponding threaded part of said hollow shaft 25. Ring 28 abuts the inner race 30, and the ring 29 abuts the ring 28. The respective abutting relations of other parts are shown in the drawings, which are substantially to scale, and which show other details. Inner race 30 is located longitudinally between the ring 28, and a cylindrical spacer 3|. The ends of said spacer 3| respectively abut the races 38 and 26. The inner race 30 is associated with an outer race 32, which is xed to the frame F, by a drive t or the like. A cap 33 is xed to the frame F, by means of screws 34 or other suitable connecting means. A flange of said cap 33 abuts the outer race 32.

The ring 29 is provided with a continuous peripheral groove, which has a continuous end wall or flange 35 at one side thereof. The opposed end wall is broken away between the points 36 and 31 and also between the points 38 and 39, so that two quadrants of the last-mentioned end wall are omitted, leaving two intermediate wall quadrants. These intermediate wall quadrants of the last-mentioned end wall'are between the points 36 and 39, and between the points 38 and 31.

The cap 48 is provided with quadrantal ribs 4| and 42, which are shown in locking position in Fig. 2. Said ribs 4| and 42 are therefore shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. In order to mount the cap 40 upon the ring 29, the ribs 4| and 42 are first pushed through the quadrantal open spaces between the points 38 and 39, and between the points 36 and 31. The cap 40 is then turned, until the space between the points 39 and 38. yThe cap 40 is then turned clockwise, until the stop pin 38 is in the stop position which is shown in Fig. 2.

The article W, which is to be marked, is inserted into one end of a spindle-holder 44. The article W is xed to the spindle-holder 44 by means of a clamping screw 45 or any other suitable means. Said article W is provided with a. recess which said clamping screw 45 enters. Said spindle-holder 44 is provided with a longitudinal bore 46, and it is also provided with a shoulder 41. The article W abuts said shoulder 41, when said article W is clamped by the clamping screw 45. A hardened metal frusta-conical member 48 is inserted into a. corresponding enlargement of the bore 46. The cap 40 is provided with a tapped bore, in which the clamping screw 49 is located. This clamping screw 49 is turned by means of a hand-hold 50, until the end of said clamping screw 49 exerts the necessary pressure upon the frusto-conical member 48. The spindle-holder 44 is removable from the hollow shaft 25, and for this purpose one end of the spindle-holder 44 is provided with a knob or hand-hold 5|. The spin dle-holder 44 is detachably fixed to the hollow shaft 25, by means of its locating key 52, which is inserted into a suitable key-way of the hollow shaft 25.

The force of the clamping screw 49 pushes the member 48 and the spindle-holder 44 forwardly or to the right, referring to Fig. 1. The reaction of this force urges the cap 4|) to the left, thus forcing the ribs 4| and 42 against the corre- 1 sponding quadrantal portions of the partial wall of the groove of the ring 29. This produces a frictional force which holds the cap 40 from turning relative to the ring 29. In the particular embodiment described, the article W has a projection 53, since said article W is a bunter or stamping die. The embossing markings or elements 51a are formed upon a planar lateral face 54 of the article W. These embossing markings 51a are formed by a marking member 55. In this embodiment, the marking member '55 is provided with a recess R, which receives the projecting end4 53 of the article W. Said marking member 55 has a frusto-conical face 56, which is provided with the intaglio markings 51. The marking member 55 is provided with a frustoconical shank 58 which fits in a corresponding recess of a sleeve or spindle-holder 59. Said spindle-holder 59 is provided with a bore 66, through which a tool can be pushed for ejecting'the shank 58. The spindle-holder or sleeve 59 is located in a bearing sleeve 6|, which is turned in unison with said spindle-holder 59. The spindle-holder 59 and the sleeve 6| are connected by means of a key 62 which is provided in the spindle-holder 59, and which enters a suitable key-way in the sleeve 6|.' A nut 63 is screwed upon one end of the spindle-holder 59. A corresponding nut 64 is screwed upon the other end of the spindleholder 59, s'o. that the spindle-holder 59 is held in adjusted position against any longitudinal movement relative to the sleeve 6 The spindleh'older 59 can thus be axially adjusted relative to bearing 6|, in order to form the markings 51a, at the correct distance from the longitudinal axis of the article W. The sleeve 6| is mounted in a frame unit Fa, which is suitably fixed to the frame F. This frame unit Fa is provided with outer races 65 and 66 which are suitably fixed to said frame unit Fa. The outer race 65 is associated with an inner race 61, which is iixed to the sleeve 6|, and the outer race 66 is associated with an inner race 68 which is also fixed to the sleeve 6|. A nut 69 is mounted upon a corresponding threaded portion of the sleeve 5|, in order to hold the inner race 68 in position. A spacing collar 16 is located between the races 61 and 68. The sleeve 6| which can also be designated as a hollow shaft, is provided with an integral worm gear 1|, which meshes with the worm 1. The worm gears 23 and 1| have identical pitches and their central planes make an angle of 45 with each other, in this embodiment, because the frusto-conical marking face 56 makes an angle of 45 with the longitudinal axis of the marking tool 55, in this embodiment. This can be varied at will. An oil-retaining cover 12 is fixed to the frame F by means of suitable holding screws 13, and an oil-retaining cover 14 is xed to the frame unit Fa, by means of screws 15.

An oil-tight packing 16 is provided around the sleeve 6|.

a,asentar 4Suitable anti-frictionballs B are located between the respective races.

In this embodiment, the marking portions 51 `are recessed or intaglio, relative to the marking face 56, so that the embossing markings 51a are formed in relief on the article W.

The operation of the device is as follows: I 'The screw 49 is turned to its `release or nonclamping position, until the cap 40 can be and it is removed from the ring 29. The spindle-holder 44, together with its fixed key 52, are then pulled out of the hollow shaft 25, the `direction of this` movement being to the left of the operative position 'which is shown in Fig. 1.V `,The article W is then inserted into the corresponding part of the bore of the spindle-holder 44, and said article W is then clamped in position by means of the clamping screw 45, whose outerA end is either flush with the outer periphery of the spindleholder 44, or is countersunk relative tothe vouter periphery of the spindle-holder 44. The spindleholder 44, with the assembled article W, is then moved to the operative position which is shown in Fig. l, in which the key 52 enters the key-way of shaft 25, by pushing said spindle-holder 44 to the right, through thehollow shaft 25. The cap 4D is then moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the screw 49 is then turned so as to force the spindle-holder 44 to the right and to lock the cap 40 to the ring 29. 'I'he adjacent walls of the spindle-holder 44 and of the hollow shaft 25 are cylindrical. Hence the pressure of the clamping screw 49 pushes the spindle-holder 44 to the right, until the face 54 of the article W abuts the corresponding frusto-conical marking wall 56 of the marking member 55, under suitable pressure, said pressure being maintained by the clamping screw 49,7`whose pitch is suiiciently small to make said screw 49 self-locking. The marking wall 56 of the marking member 55 therefore serves as a stop for limiting the movement of the spindleholder 44 and of the article W, under the thrust of the screw 49. The faces 54 and 56 make theoretical linear contact when the article W is in operative position. In practice, said faces are slightly flattened under the high pressure of` the screw 49. The motor I is now operated, thus turning the article W exactly in unison and at exactly the same speed of rotation as the marking member 55 which is frictionally driven by sleeve 59. f i

It will be noted that since the,` marking positions or elements 51 of the marking wall 56, are recessed or intaglio, that the embossing markings 51a on the article W are in relief, and said embossing markings 51a are reversed relative to the marking elements 51.

By contacting the marking wall 56 with the face 54 of the article which isv marked, under rolling pressure, clear and sharp embossing markings 51a, can be formed with much less pressure, than if the entire marking wall 56 or if an entire marking element were simultaneously forced into contact with the face 54 to be marked. If a hydraulic press is used with an ordinary marking punch whose marking element makes full face contact with the object which is to be marked, a minimum pressure of about 80-90 tons per square inch is required, in order to form the embossing markings in a hard steel matrix. In order to allow for such pressure, the bunter must be provided initially with a dome-shaped face 54, instead of a planar face. The material of the bunter yields under said high pressure, and

the cylindrical wall of the bunter must be tightly Aelements or enclosed while this high pressure is applied. After the embossing markings have been formed, vit is' necessary to harden the bunter. The distortion of the metal of the original shape of the bunter, under the old method, crystallized said metal, so that the hardened bunter tended to break. My improved method and machine eliminate these disadvantages, because I can use low pressure, under which the original shape of the article W is not distorted. According to my invention, the pressure screw 49 can 'be turned by hand in order to exert the necessary pressure, which is much less than the pressure which would be required if the wall 54 made full contact with one or more of the marking elements 51. Clear and satisfactory markings have been secured by pressure which is secured by turning the screw 49 by hand. This pressure would be insufficient to form the markings 51a, if the wall 54 simultaneously made full contact with all the markings 51.

Hence the improved device can be operated much more quickly and conveniently than a hyt draulic press, and there is no danger of applying excessive stress to the article W which is to be marked. The improved device is also much more compact and much lighter than an hydraulic press.

It is clear that the improved method may be put into practice by numerous types of mechanism.

In the improved method, the marking elements 51 are caused to rotate about a fixed axis, and said marking elements are part of a marking wall 56 against which the article is forced, so

that said wall 55 acts as a stop.

The article W is preferably initially forced under' pressure to contact with a portion of the marking wall 56, between the markings 51. However, the invention is not limited to this feature. The marking Wall 56 may have one or more marking elements 51.

The end of the spindle-holder 44 from which the article W projects when said article W is clamped to said spindle-holder 44, may be designated as the front end of said spindle-holder 44. The spindle-holder 44 is therefore rearwardly slidable out of the hollow shaft'25. The rear end of the spindle-holder 44 projects rearwardly of said hollow shaft 25. The member 49 may be designated as an abutment member which can be fixed to the frame, through the medium of the ring 29. The member 48 may be designated. as a second abutment member which receives the thrust of the screw 49, which passes through a tapped bore of the member 40. The spindleholder 44, the rings 28 and 29, the cap 49 and the screw 49 and the member 48, all turn in unison about the same axis, with the hollow shaft 25 and the article W. The screw 49 can be turned so as to increase its pressure, while said screw 49 is turned in unison with worm-gear 23. This is preferred in actual practice, instead of applying the full pressure of screw 49, before rotating the worm-gear 23. The member 48 is turned by friction, in unison with spindle-holder 44.

The marking tool 55 can be caused to turn in unison with the spindle-holder 59, by means of friction.

The maximum pressure of screw 49, in order to form clear embossing markings 51a, need not exceed a maximum of one ton, or only about one per cent of the ,pressure formerly required in the hydraulic press. The spindle-holder 44 and the article W can be rotated several times, in

crder to form the embossing markings 51a in the same object W.

There is a slight, but sufiicient clearance between ring 28 and cap 33, so that ring 28 can turn easily in unison with worm gear 23. Since the worm gear 23 is turned slowly, it is easy to turn the screw 49 in order to increase its longitudinal thrust, after said screw 49 and said worm gear 23 begin to turn about their common axis of rotation. The screw 49 can be turned to exert its iinal maximum thrust of about one ton per` inch, before or after the worm gear 23 has turned a complete revolution.

The marking operation does not substantially distort the article W, save to form the embossing markings 51a. If the face 54 is planar before the embossing markings 51a are formed, said face 54 is substantially planar after said embossing markings or elements 51a have been formed. It is therefore not necessary to force the article W under great pressure into the spindle-holder 44, or to locate said article W with its entire cylindrical wall in contact with the inner cylindrical wall of spindle-holder 44, in order to prevent the distortion of said article W. Said article W can be easily inserted by hand into the spindle-holder 44, and after the markings 51a have been formed, said article W can be easily removed by hand from the spindle-holder.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

In one aspect of the invention, the article W is rotated about its respective longitudinal axis by being connected to a iirst rotatable member. The marking tool is rotated about the respective longitudinal axis, by being connected, as by friction, to a second rotatable member. One of these rotatable members has an end-thrust bearing, such as the cap 4B connected to such rotatable member, so that said end-thrust bearing rotates in unison with said rotatable members. Said end-thrust bearing has end-thrust means, such as the members 49, 48, and 46, and said end-thrust means rotate in unison with said rotatable members. Said end-thrust means cause the face of the article W to contact under rolling pressure with the marking wall of the marking tool.

I claim:

l. A machine for marking an object, comprising a driven shaft, a rst hollow shaft geared to said driven. shaft, a second hollow shaft also geared to said driven shaft, the axes of said hollow shafts being inclined to each other, said hollow shafts being rotated at equal speeds by said driven shaft, a spindle-holder removably located in said rst hollow shaft and turnable in unison with said rst hollow shaft, a sleeve located in said second hollow shaft and turnable'in unison with said second hollow shaft, a marking tool located in said sleeve at one end of said sleeve, said marking tool projecting out of said end of said sleeve and being turnable in unison with said sleeve, said marking tool having a marking wall which has a marking element, said marking tool being adjacent the front end of said spindle-holder,.means for clamping the article which is to be marked to said spindle-holder at said front end of said spindle-holder, said article projecting out of said front end of said spindle-holder when said article is thus clamped, a face of said article then contacting with said marking wall, said spindleholder being longitudinally slidable in said rst hollow shaft, pressure means adapted to urge said spindle-holder forwardly towards said marking tool and vfor holding said face under pressure against said marking wall, said spindle-holder and the attached article being rearwardly slidable out of said hollow shaft.

2` A machine according to claim l, said machine having a frame, said spindle-holder having its rear end also projecting rearwardly out of said first hollow shaft, an abutment member located rearwardly of said rear end, said pressure means comprising a longitudinal screw which passes through a tapped bore of said abutment member, and a second abutment; member which abuts said rear end and which is turnable relative to said spindle-holder.

3. A machine for making an object, said machine comprising rst rotatable-means for rotating said object about its longitudinal axis, second rotatable-means for rotating a, marking tool about its longitudinal axis with a marking wall of said marking tool in rolling contact with a face of said object, end-thrust means connected to and rotating with one of said rotatable-means, said end-thrust means exerting force in the direction of thev respective longitudinal axis of the respective rotatable-means to hold said marking wall under rolling pressure against said face, said marking wall having a marking which is offset relative to said marking wall, said end-thrust means exerting suflicient pressure to produce a marking in said face which corresponds to said oiset marking.

4. A machine according to claim 3, including drive-means for rotating both said rotatable means simultaneously and at the same angular velocity.

ABRAHAM SIMONS. 

